Chapter 114
[I see. Seems like you don't trust me.]
Jang Sunho didn't believe the Manager of Room 1's words. In the world today, especially in the entertainment industry of South Korea, who could be trusted?
Given what KL Entertainment had done to Jinseok so far, such suspicion was natural.
[Well, if there's nothing else to say, I'll end the call now. Please take care of Kang Jinseok in the future.]
The Manager of Room 1 hung up, seemingly understanding Jang Sunho's skepticism. Jang Sunho began to review if he had missed something.
I don't know if the information Manager of Room 1 provided is accurate. Maybe they gave me a bluff to see how we'd react.'
At that moment, the phone in Jang Sunho's hand rang. The screen displayed Mr. Park Chunsam.'
"Yes, Jang Sunho speaking."
[Oh, Manager-nim. I've taken care of all the guys I showed you in the photos earlier. Just reporting the situation and letting you know not to worry.]
"Got it. Thank you for your hard work."
While relieved that the thugs were all taken care of, his mind became more complicated.
The manager of Room 1 is the closest aide to the CEO of KL. Is today's incident in line with the CEO's intentions?'
After a brief contemplation, Jang Sunho shook his head. Now was the time to focus on Jinseok's shoot rather than dwelling on such thoughts.
***
"Let's start shooting! Actor Kang Jinseok and actress Yeo Hyemin, please stand by!"
I walked towards the alley where the lights and cameras were concentrated. As I passed, I noticed some citizens capturing me on their phones.
Meeting people like Actor Kang Jinseok' like this was almost a first since the awards ceremony, and it felt both cool and uplifting.
Then, someone tapped on my shoulder. Without turning around, I could already guess who it was.
"Did you enjoy the coffee? It was delicious."
As I turned around, as expected, Yeo Hyemin was holding out her notebook.
"Oh, yes. Thank you. Wasn't it too sweet? The director seems like he hasn't had half of it yet."
"It was just right for me."
Yeo Hyemin smiled. Though it might appear almost expressionless to others, I had become able to read some expressions after seeing her frequently.
Her brighter demeanor compared to our first meeting lifted my mood.
"We're counting on you for this shoot too. It's a really important scene, you know."
An important scene, huh.'
Every scene was important in its own way, but as Yeo Hyemin said, this scene was incredibly' crucial.
It marked the moment when the female lead, Moon Hyemin, first opened up her heart to the scammer, and simultaneously, the scammer began to see Moon Hyemin not just as a job' but as a person.'
"I'm really counting on you. Well then, shall we go? Everyone seems to be waiting."
Yeo Hyemin nodded, and with the staff, entered the alley.
Watching their backs, I waited for the cue sign from Director Yeo Jaeyoon.
"Action! Cut!"
With that signal, the scenery changed.
At an entrance to an alley similar to where I was just now, yet slightly different. People hurriedly walked, wondering what could be so urgent.
Among them was Kim Faith's target, Lee Hyemin.'
Hyemin, this time, you can't ignore me.'
After the embarrassment at the restaurant, Kim Faith analyzed Lee Hyemin even more thoroughly.
He systematically gathered information on Lee Hyemin's likes and dislikes, the recent dramas and movies she watched, her favorite songs and singers, and even the restaurants she frequented. Kim Faith continued to approach her under the guise of coincidence.'
Not only did he attempt to win Lee Hyein's attention by acquiring the ownership of a store or hiring people to portray him in an appealing light, but all these efforts ended in failure.
Despite such thorough preparation and effort, this was the first time Kim Faith had failed to approach his target.
This is practically the last chance. If I continue to approach her here, Hyemin will eventually realize that I'm targeting her.'
Kim Faith's final operation was somewhat clich, but it was always effectivethe Prince on a White Horse' operation.
I never thought I'd resort to such a cheesy method.'
Today was a rare day when Lee Hyemin was walking alone without her bodyguards. Since this operation was something that could only be attempted today, Kim Faith felt compelled to give it a shot, despite the somewhat cheesy nature of the plan.
"A beautiful lady like you shouldn't be wandering around alone; it's dangerous. Where are you headed?"
"We're not bad people. Let's grab a coffee. It's going to be really fun, I promise."
A typical street thug's cheesy lines echoed. The voice seemed to match the lines, indicating that this was not the thug's first attempt at using such lines.
"It's begun."
Three street thugs blocked the path of Lee Hyemin, chuckling. A few passersby caught a glimpse of the scene, but they paid no attention and continued on their way.
These were all team members prepared by Kim Faith, each participating in the orchestrated plan to become the White Horse Riding Prince.'
"Why so silent? We're not scary people, you know?"
The thugs approached Lee Hyemin. She remained motionless, seemingly lost in thought. Perhaps she was too stunned to react.
Kim Faith, judging that the atmosphere had simmered down just enough, approached Lee Hyemin slowly. They exchanged glances with the thugs without being noticed.
"Well then, let's go with us. I know a really great place"
Just as one of the thugs attempted to subtly grab Lee Hyemin's shoulder, something completely unexpected happened.
With a sudden force, Lee Hyemin seized the thug's hand that was reaching for her shoulder. Then, effortlessly, she smoothly twisted the thug's arm.
"Ah, ahh! W-wait a moment!"
Even though he was playing the role of a thug, this man had been a professional who had synchronized well with Kim Faith throughout. He had put in his fair share of physical effort.
However, at this moment, this man, who had only half the strength of the woman in front of him, found himself unable to use any force.
Suddenly, a piece of information about Lee Hyemin crossed Kim Faith's mind.
Come to think of it, Lee Hyemin had learned martial arts too!'
Kim Faith didn't pay much attention to the fact that Lee Hyemin had learned martial arts. Learning martial arts doesn't necessarily mean you can use it in practical situations.
"Aaaah! I-I'm really in pain! Just a moment! M-My arm is going to break!"
"I-It's not a joke, really! Aaah!!"
The thugs looked at Kim Faith with bewildered eyes.
Reading their gaze, Lee Hyemin also turned around. She looked at Kim Faith with an emotionless gaze.
Even though Lee Hyemin appeared calm, Kim Faith's mind was more complicated than ever.
"I need to quickly come up with the next plan."
In his career as a scam artist, not everything went according to plan. Strictly speaking, more often than not, things didn't go as planned. After all, life doesn't always go as one desires.
However, this was the first time everything failed so perfectly.
Once Lee Hyemin let go of the arm she was holding, the thug hastily retreated. If the plan went awry to this extent, there was no choice but to leave it to the leader, Kim Faith.
Unbeknownst to them, pedestrians had disappeared from the alley, leaving only Kim Faith and Lee Hyemin.
In the silent alley, Lee Hyemin took out a notebook and pen from her bag, wrote something, and then handed it to Kim Faith.
"We've been meeting quite frequently these days."
Even if it was just a coincidence at other times, meeting in an alley like this is somewhat suspicious.
With an expressionless face, Lee Hyemin showed the notebook. Her handwriting was so neat that it was impossible to tell if she was annoyed or indifferent.
If there had been even a slight expression on her face, Kim Faith might have been able to read Lee Hyemin's intention.
Although confident in reading people's hearts more than anyone else, at this moment, Kim Faith felt nothing but a sense of bewilderment.
Are you following me?
With that question, Kim Faith's mind became even more complicated.
Whether Lee Hyemin was asking if Kim Faith was worried about her entering the alley alone or if he was stalking her, there was no way to know.
The information was not sufficient. It was too confusing.
In order to find a convincing excuse that Lee Hyemin could accept, Kim Faith quickly racked his brain.
But a good idea didn't come to mind.
Huh.
Lee Hyemin sighed at Kim Faith, who remained silent. Then, as if she had no lingering feelings, she turned and walked away.
Ah, no. If I let it go like this'
It was over. No matter what plans he made for the future, she would only doubt him and wouldn't treat him properly. That was certain.
"Wait a moment!"
With the thought that grabbing Lee Hyemin was a priority, Kim Faith blurted out as soon as the words came to his lips.
Lee Hyemin looked at Kim Faith again. Her expression still revealed nothing about what she was thinking.
"Well."
"That's"
Unable to string words together properly, time continued to pass. The more time passed, the more Kim Faith's mind blanked, and he became even more unsure of what to say.
Then, as if determined, Kim Faith bent deeply at the waist, extended his hand to Lee Hyemin, and said,
"I-I've fallen for you!"
"When I first saw you at the restaurant, I fell for you at first sight. That's why I kept trying to talk to you and ended up following you to this alley!"
What am I saying?'
Kim Faith felt like he had gone crazy from squeezing his brain too hard. Or perhaps, had he become foolish and unable to think straight because of Lee Hyemin these days?
He couldn't understand the words coming out of his own mouth.
Falling for her out of the blue.
Wasn't that a corny phrase that even a high school student, no, a middle schooler wouldn't use?
Damn, damn, damn, damn! Someone please kill me, please!'
Still, Kim Faith's gaze remained fixated on the ground.
Only the shadow of Lee Hyemin, cast by the lamplight, was visible. Like that shadow, Kim Faith's heart seemed to be burning pitch black with shame.
Silence engulfed them once again.
That silence continued to amplify Kim Faith's embarrassment.
After a while, with no response from Lee Hyemin, Kim Faith maintained his posture and cautiously lifted his head.
""
For some inexplicable reason, Lee Hyemin's face turned even redder than before. This was a situation entirely different from what Kim Faith had expected, or rather, imagined.
As Kim Faith blankly stared at himself, Lee Hyemin's face grew even redder. Eventually, she quickly walked away as if escaping from the alley.
"Damn, I messed up. Seriously messed up."
If he sent her off like this, there might not be another chance. However, going after her now would be even more unreasonable.
With trembling pupils, Kim Faith gazed at the spot where Lee Hyemin's shadow had been. It wasn't a significant gesture, just a reaction to the confusion and embarrassment that kept his head bowed.
Then it happened. Footsteps were heard from the other end of the alley.
Without the possibility of what was happening, I lifted my head just in case, and there stood Lee Hyemin with her face still flushed red.
After hesitating for a moment, Lee Hyemin scribbled something in her notebook and showed it to Kim Faith.
"Is that true?"
TN: Yotttss why am I blushing as well? Lol